Transmission synchronizer and gear lock-up



Aug. 15, 1939. A. H. JEssEN TRANSMISSION SYNCHRONIZER AND GEAR LOCK-UP Filed June 22, 1936 INYIiNTOR. BY 7 A ORNEY:

Patented Aug. 15, 1939 V I I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE TRANSMISSION SYNGHRONIZER AND GEAR LOCK-UP Arnold H. Jessen, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 22, 1936, Serial No. 86,615

6 Claims. (Cl. 192-53) This invention relates to and has for an object With the driving shaft. When moved into one the provision of a compact, simply constructed operative position the means G first synchronizes and highly efficient combination synchronizer the driving and driven shafts, then locks them and gear lock-up device for automotive transin direct connection with one another, and when mission mechanisms, particularly such mechamoved into another operative position first synnisms as disclosed in my application for patent chronizes the loosely mounted gear F and driven filed April 6, 1936, Serial Number 72,985. shaftthen locks said gear to said driven shaft Another object of this invention is to provide and thereby indirectly connects the driving and a. transmission operating unit which, as a small driven shafts through gears C, D, E and F. It

device taking up but a minimum of space, will Will be noted that the gear 0 is fixed on an end 10 serve as a gear ratio selector, a synchronizer, a of the driving shaft A--as for example, by being positive lock-up means for selected gears, and formed integrally therewith, whereas gear F is permit driving and driven elements of the transloosely mounted on shaft B, and the means (3 mission mechanism to be selectively, directly or is operable between said two gears C and F.

indirectly connected in a positive and eflicacious In the present embodiment of this invention 15 manner. the driving and driven shafts are coaxial and A further object is to provide transmission the driven shaft is journalled by means of bearmechanism in which the combined synchronizings l within a bore 3 formed in said driving ing and gear lock-up unit may be conveniently shaft.

carried for the most part within one of the shafts, The combination synchronizing and gear lock- 20 for example, the driven shaft, whereby to take up means G generally comprises a friction clutch up less room, to simplify the construction and device 4 for synchronizing the driven and driv to render more reliable and positive the operation ing shafts, a similar device 5 for synchronizing thereof. ear F and the driven shaft, a gear lock-up de- Other and more detailed objects of invention vice 6 for directly connecting said driving'and 25 will appear as the description progresses. driven shafts, a similar lock-up device 1 for con-.

I have shown a preferred form of the invennecting said gear F with the driven shaft, and tion in the accompanying drawing, subject to selectively shiftable means 8 on the driven shaft modification within the scope of the appended for initially engaging and operating the friction claims, without departing from the spirit thereof. clutch devices and finally engaging and oper- 30 In said drawing: ating said lock-up devices, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary sectional view of the As here shown the friction clutch devices 4 and transmission mechanism of this invention; 5 comprise annular clutch members 9 and I 0 Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1; fixed on the gears C and F and surrounding and Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1; engaging sets of segmental friction shoes II and Fig. 4 is an end elevation of the shifting memh S Shoes e Secured y t n s 3 her; and and H to the driven shaft B so as to rotate Fig. 5 is an inside plan view of one of the frictherewith and be radially movable with respect tion shoes. thereto into frictional contact with said annular The transmission mechanism of the invention m e s 9 and '0 w reby to sy c onize the as illustrated in the accompanying drawing comen a ble elements as aforesaid. prises a driving shaft A, a driven shaft B, a The means 8 includes an actuator member l5 countershaft B, gears C, D, E and F for indishiftably mounted in a bore it formed in the rectly connecting the driving and driven shafts, driven shaft B, there being a pin l1 extending and the combination synchronizing and gear through said member l5 and slots I 8 and which lock-up means G which in its initial operation secures a shift sleeve l9 to said member. This synchronizes the elements selected for connecsleeve provides for the usual operative connection and then connects and locks together said tion with a shift lever not shown. The ends of selected elements as the final operation thereof, the member 15 are reduced and formed with cam said means G serving as the medium for directly portions 20 and 2| and intermediate cylindrical t connecting said driving and driven shafts. po o s Nolmally these portions 22 are en- As here shown the means G is carried for the gaged by the closed ends of cup members 23 most part by the driven shaft B and when in which are slidable in radial openings 24 in the neutral position (see Fig. 1) maintains the driven shaft B. Sp s 25 e'm mte in Said P 5 shaft free from direct and indirect connection and extend through said radial openings so as to all,

to engage the. friction shoes II and 12, said springs being under but light, or in fact no, tension whatsoever when the parts are in the aforesaid normal position. However, it should be noted that the cups 23 do engage the cam surfaces 2| when the member 15 is in neutral position and thereby serve to hold said member l5 against unintentional movement out of said position. When the member 15 is shifted, for example, so as to directly engage the driving and driven shafts A and B, the cups 23 will be forced outward by cam surface 2| and through the springs 25 will yieldably urge the shoes 'I I into frictional engagement with the annular member I 9 on. driving shaft A; This will provide for synchronizing the driving and driven shafts and it Will be obvious that when the member I5 is shifted in the opposite direction the clutch device 5 will be operated to synchronize the gear F and shaft B. v I

' The gear lock-up devices 5 and beach comp'riseradially'extenslbledocking pins-21 which areslidable in" openings 23 inthe shaft B and adapted to be extended into locking engagement with the shaft A andgear F, respectively. In the shaft A and gear F are depressions or sockets 29 and 30 which are adapted to receive, the outer ends of said locking pins whenthe latter are forced outwardly'by the inner ends thereof being engaged with the cam portions 20 on the shiftable member l5. V

It will now be apparent that when the shiftable member is moved in either direction from its neutral position it'will first cause one of friction clutchdevices 4 and 5 to synchronize the. selected element to be connected and then'actuate one of the lock-up devices 6 and I to lock said selected elements together.

It will be noted that by having the combination synchronizing and gear lock-up means housed for the most part within the driven shaft, an economy in space, a simplified construction and a'positive and reliable operation will be providedinan efficacious manner. I

The devices 4 and 5 serve effectively as bearings in that the annular members!) and I" ride freely on the shoes I I and 12 which are engaged with andfixed to the driven shaft B so as to rotate therewith yet be radially movable with respect thereto.

It will be noted that the rocking pins of ea'ch set are held innormal position by'spring urged cup-like members3l, edges of which arereleasably engaged in notches 32 in said pins. These cup members 3| release the pins when the cam portions 2|] engage and push outwardlyethe inner ends of said pins.

Emphasis is laid on the fact that the devices and have thethree fold function of serving as thrust bearings, as bearings carrying the radial loads and as means for synchronizing the driven and driving elements. Furthermore, the spring means for yieldably actuating the friction shoes of these synchronizing devices also serve .tomain tain the shifting member against unintentional movement out of neutral and all operative positions. It should be noted that the'shifting" member I5 is provided with annular grooves 15' to receive the spring urged cups 23 when said member is in positionsfor operating' the devices 6 and'L. A It should'benoted that when the pins 21 of one. set are pushed outwardly bythe beveled portions 20, said pins can yet be moved outwardly and are so movedupon contact therewith of the cam surface 2|. This will dispose the pins 21 out of the way of the member 5, which is then free to move to a position such that one of the spring urged 'cups 23 will engage in the annular groove l5.

What I claim is:

1. .In a transmission mechanism, rotary mem said other member, synchronizing elements mounted on said one member for extension there- 7 from into engagement with corresponding elements of said other member, an actuator slidable in the bore of said one member and initially engaging and extending the extensible synchronizing elements and finallyengaging and extending said extensible locking elements, and means for sliding said actuator in either direction.

2. In a transmission mechanism, rotary-members, a plurality of pins fixed to and radially extensible from one of said rotary members, the other of said rotary members having pin receiving sockets, a synchronizing clutch shoe mounted for rotation with 'andbeing radially extensible from said one rotary member, an annular portion on said other rotary member surrounding said clutch shoe, an actuator slidable in said one rotary member to successively engage and extend 'radial-.

ly outward the clutch shoe and said pins, means for so sliding said actuator, spring means engaging and holding said actuator in operative. position' and through which said actuator yieldably extends said shoe when moved out of said neutral position. f

3. In a transmission mechanism, rotary members, pins fixed to and extensible radially from one of said rotary members, the other ofsaid ro-' tary members having pin receivingsockets, a synchronizing clutch shoe mounted for rotation with and being radially extensible from said onerotarymember, an'annular portion on the other rotary member and surrounding said clutch shoe, an

7 actuatorslidable in said one member to successively engage andextendradially outward theclutch shoe and pins, means for'sliding said actuator, said annular portion and said sho e being engaged at all times. 1 I

4.. A transmission mechanismcompri-sing rotary members, means carried by one of said members for locking said members for joint rotation, a frictional synchronizingdevice associated with said members, a shiftable member in said one rotary member initially movable to engage and operate said friction device and finallymovable to-engage withsald locking means for connecting said members for joint rotation, said friction de- 'vice including friction shoes carried by said one rotary member and adapted to engage said other rotary member and spring means arranged to'b e engaged bysaid shiftable member for yieldably' extending. said shoes, said spring means normal- 1y operating to hold said shiftable member in' operative position. I

5. A transmission mechanism comprising rotary members, means carried by one of said rotary members for locking said rotary members for joint rotation, africtional synchronizing device .associatedfw'ith one of said rotary membersand;

a shi'ftable member in said one rotary member initially engageable with said friction de' vijceand finally movable for engagement with said locking.

means for connecting said members for 'joint'ro tation, said friction device comprising an annular member carried by one of said rotary members, a friction shoe normally having bearing engagement with said annular member and fixed on and extensible from the other of said rotary members into frictional contact with said annular member, said locking device including pins extensible from said one rotary member to engage the other rotary member and portions on an end of said shiftable member for engaging and extending said pins.

6. A transmission mechanism comprising rotary members, means carried by one of said members for locking said members for joint rotation, a frictional synchronizing device associated with said members, a shiftable element in one of said rotary member and being initially movable to engage and operate said friction device and finally movable to engage and operate said locking means, said friction device comprising an annular portion carried by said other rotary member and a friction shoe normally engaging said portion and fixed on and extensible from the other rotary member for frictional contact with said annular portion, said locking device including pins extensible from said one rotary member to engage said other rotary member, portions on said shiftable member for engaging and extending said pins, spring means for yieldably extending said shoes and other portions spaced inwardly from the first named portions on said shiftable member for engaging and operating said spring means to extend said shoe.

ARNOLD H. JESSEN. 

